Mary Wells Race - 2023

Saturday, November 18th, dawned cool and overcast. The building NW wind brought heavy dark clouds and a few sprinkles. While this was still the best weather day we’d had in a week, there were few powerboats venturing out, and only 8 intrepid HISC boats showed up for the Mary Wells Challenge Race. The offshore breeze provided a calm sea with an occasional swell left over from the previous storms. The departing low pressure system presented us with gusty, shifting winds from single digits to a few blasts that pegged 30 knots on our masthead knot meter.

These conditions gave us sparkling fast sailing as we all beam and broad reached south to clear the first mark, the HI sea buoy to starboard. Then we came up a few degrees, trimming for the new course to the Virtual GPS mark close inshore just off of the Commercial Boulevard pier. With the wind speeds well over 20 knots, it gave us blasting boat speeds (often touching 8.4 knots) and the looming checkered flag marking the South Mark on the GPS come quickly in range. Endurance is crewed by just 3 of us, so we got busy for the jybe. Jybing in a breeze is always tricky and can be hazardous. Andrea capably took the helm; Ron handled the mainsheet and released the jib; Eddie cranked in the new jib sheet. Heading back north, we were now close reaching/beating. It was … lively! The approaching southbound fleet was still on starboard tack and had to be given their due right of way.

As we all sailed back up to the next mark (the Start buoy, HI kept to port), the breeze kept gusting and oscillating, tending towards north with NW blasts. It became a challenge to lift up to the mark to lay it in one tack. Once around the buoy, it was ease sheets and off we go again to the HI buoy, this time a port rounding. The final leg back to a northerly finish again required playing the lifts to avoid more tacks to lay the finish line.

It is a testament to the HISC sailors that, despite the conditions, there were no (reported) huge disasters or gear damage. It ended a great day of sailing, befitting the feisty, hold-nothing-back nature of the race’s namesake, our beloved MARY WELLS!